Leelanau rolls out some winners for summer tasting tours

Leelanau Peninsula is one of four federally approved viticultural areas in Michigan, and the winery scene there continues to expand and impress. An early core of four wineries — Boskydel Vineyard, Leelanau Wine Cellars, Good Harbor Vineyards, and L. Mawby Vineyards — has expanded to a growing list of 25, including some names not yet familiar to Michigan wine enthusiasts.

A deeper look at the language of organic food

We devoted last month's article to decoding some of the trickier language associated with organic farming, but that merely skimmed the surface. This month, we've created a dictionary of common organic-related terminology that you'll come across in any grocery store or farmers market, defined with some help from a local farmer and a food expert.

Peanut Barrel puts a limit on its signature drink for good reason

Michigan is home to several well-known islands: Mackinac, Beaver, Isle Royale. Pretty and peaceful, to be sure, but there's one in mid-Michigan that's famous in its own right — the Long Island (as in, Long Island Iced Tea) at the Peanut Barrel. And at $5 per drink, an afternoon vacation on the Peanut Barrel patio is cheaper than Shepler's Ferry.

Imagine making a trip to the grocery store to find that every food item available had someone standing behind it. This person could tell you about how that product was grown, harvested, processed, sold and delivered to where you now stand.

Festival highlights Michigan-made beer, specialty sausages

On May 25, the Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa in Thompsonville, Mich., was once again the backdrop and showcase for Michigan's burgeoning craft brew industry at the 8th annual Michigan Beer and Brat Festival.

Decoding the sometimes confusing terminology of organic food

"Organic" has become a buzzword that seems to be everywhere these days. Essentially, organic refers to agriculture that's conducted without synthetic chemicals, but as with any trend, there are a flurry of issues, contradictions and confusions infused about what it really means.